'71

Set against the complex backdrop of the beginnings of Northern Ireland in 71 but before Bloody Sunday really turned the tide in the favour of the IRA in 72 this is an extremely well made taught piece of drama. With an assured performance by rising star Jack O'Connell in the lead, he plays a young soldier Gary Hook recently deployed to Northern Ireland who finds himself out of his dept when going on his first patrol thanks to the incompetence of his CO (Sam Reid) - Separated from his unit and lost in a city he doesn't know he's forced in a fight for survival as its hard to tell who is friend and who is foe in this extremely well written piece of drama. The writer here has taken care not to paint one side entirely good or bad and that is how it was. Wounded and armed with nothing but a knife Hook has enemies closing in from all sides as the film draws to a bloody climax.

I don't want to be accused of gushing praise, but there is much to compliment the whole team involved here, from the tones of the production design, beautifully capturing the mood feel and look of the 1970's in drab pastels and the grey of urban decay. The editing, directing, lighting is all bang on the money but greatest of all is the casting, for it is not only O'Connell who shines here, but the younger members of the cast almost upstage him with their brilliant performances. Two stand outs of the younger cast were Corey McKinley (Listed rather almost like an extra on here as 'Loyalist Child which seems a little unfair) and Barry Keoghan - The former is clearly a star in the making with his ballsy performance while Keoghan with almost no lines makes an amazing impact with simple looks conveying the struggles of emotion he feels inside when it comes to committing to a path of violence. Veterans Sean Harris brings his creepy presence to the duplicitous under cover unit commander but it is an energetic performance by O'Connell that brings it all together. Let us hope we do not loose him to Hollywood entirely. The film also takes time to give Hooks character some context, so we have some idea of his own life and attachments back home. A man almost without a family but not without people who are depending on him, this is a true depicting for many whom join the army, an alternative to spending life on the dole.

This film is living proof that we can make thrilling and exciting cinema in the UK but still leave some room for Social Commentary within the context of a great story - an excellent thriller which hints at the dark path that was to follow in Northern Ireland for many years. Strongly recommended.

Tracking a young British soldier who fights for his life after being stranded by his unit on the vicious streets of Belfast, this 1971-set thriller is as grubby, tense and frenetic as the Northern Ireland conflict itself. Debutant Yann Demange does a sterling job in the director's chair, bringing a Paul Greengrass-esque urgency to the action with a combination of regular close-up shots and (not-too-shaky) hand-held camera work. Demange wisely opts for a quality over quantity approach to the brutal violence too, resulting in a few impactful events of savagery and gore that enhance the tension and dread rather than exploit it. Occurring over one night only, Demange – working from Gregory Burke's sparing, taut script – wrings suspense from moments as small as an uncomfortable conversation in a bar, and as big as a cat-and-mouse set piece in an apartment complex or the dazed aftermath of an explosion. It's not all smooth sailing though. The relatively unexplained bookending scenes are a tad cheesy and add little, whilst the bulk of the supporting characters are rarely more than stereotypes, albeit played with gusto. But this movie unmistakably belongs to lead actor, and recent BAFTA Rising Star winner, Jack O'Connell. His Private Gary Hook is resilient yet fragile, strong-willed yet frightened, making him a relatable everyman who will do anything to stay alive. It's not a film you could call "fun", but it's a riveting watch that rewards those willing to be immersed in its gritty and uncompromising survival story.

Understanding the intricacies of the Troubles is by no means an easy task, but director Yann Demange has done an excellent job of presenting this conflict in '71. Demange made something of a name for himself on British television, directing the E4 horror series Dead Set and Channel 4 crime drama Top Boy, and this success has translated very well into a film with much larger political significance.

The characters of '71 are very much forged by their on-screen experience. Little backstory is given to the protagonist, Gary Hook, portrayed by Jack O'Connell, yet he gives a compelling physical and visual performance with an almost empty script. The intimate, personal atmosphere of the film makes the political conflict much easier to grasp for the viewer and the diversity of the opposing factions and characters shines through with an excellent supporting cast.

The only flaw I could find in the film is its difficulty in exploring the "why" behind the conflict we witness on our screens. This in itself may play into the story, however, as British soldiers expecting to be sent abroad found themselves much closer to home, in a conflict they themselves didn't fully understand.

The Troubles are a criminally under-taught and under-represented period so '71 offers an intriguing glimpse into the unrest and disorder that regrettably continues to this day.

I tend to avoid most celluloid representations of Northern Irish Troubles - the longest running terrorist campaign in Europe, costing approximately 3000 lives and hundreds of millions of pounds in property damage and displacement - as oversimplified, glossy and biast; The Devil's Own, The Jackal, The Sons of Anarchy (particularly the last) portray Belfast either as some kind of South Central Los Angeles, or a gaudy Roger and Hammerstein set, with preconceived notions of The Troubles, and frankly unrealistically romantic portrayals of (usually Republican) paramilitaries.

'71 offers a gritty change of direction and pace. Told from the bewildered (and bewildering) viewpoint of one Gary Hook (an excellent portrayal by Jack O'Connell), a young British Army private marooned in Belfast - he's still in the UK his mates are assured! - after a supposedly straightforward raid goes drastically wrong; we're sucked nto a grimy, claustrophobic race for survival; Gary's race is our race. Hotly pursued by a Provo hit squad, Gary soon learns shocking lessons about trust...

Perhaps the thriller element does get somewhat overdone - not as much as Fifty Dead Men Walking, mark - but I was genuinely impressed at the attempt made to grasp the nettle of the turmoil in the early Seventies and break it down for the outsider; how often has the Official v Provisional split been discussed or portrayed in film? The Loyalists are mostly comic relief, but an attempt is made to portray them as real people...just like the ordinary Catholics who risk their lives to aid the stiken Gary.

Sean Harris deserves a mention as the devious Military Reaction Force officer (a real undercover outfit) running numerous Protestant and Catholic players; and contrary to some reviewers, barricades and vigilante patrols were fairly common during the early part of the decade - did he never hear of Free Derry?

This is an honest attempt to unravel the confusion of Ulster's tragedy for the perspective of a confused outsider, particularly a lone British soldier; it deserves praise for its insight and bravery.

It took me a while to finally give this film a chance, but I actually do not regret watching it. It was enjoyable, had a great pace, and had enough unexpected twists and turns to keep you guessing. The movie was also full of characters who seemed weak but faced stressful situations that they did not look like handling, and that created a lot of tension in the movie. An element, as I always say, essential if you are to like a movie. Being a foreigner, I don't know if this is based on real events, but either way, I thought the movie was definitely better than the rating its given. I have seen a lot worse with ratings of 8 or above on IMDb.